(X-post from livejournal: dracodechristus.livejournal.co… )
I remember very vividly when my father told me the secret to getting rich quickly (and legally). He said a small fortune could be raised overnight using a simple newspaper ad (this was a while ago). The content would be as follows:
"Want to get rich quick? Order our correspondence course, and become wealthy overnight! Please send your name, address and a $10.00 check or money order to Wealth Solutions, 123 Madeup St. Mytown, ST 45678."
The 'correspondence course' would be a 1-page letter instructing them to purchase a similar ad and sell the same 'course' to other people who want to get rich with minimal effort.
I've been reading several books on wealth and finance lately. I have run across several that claim that the principals set forth in their pages, if followed, will make a millionaire of the reader. Some of them are really more about motivation and a success mentality than actual wealth strategies. This type of advice is valuable to an extent, but at the end of the day I start to wonder if some of these authors know one more secret to gaining wealth that they do not present... convince readers that buying their book will give them a shot at wealth. Is their formula to financial success as simple as creating a 150 page 'newspaper ad'? I'll let you all know after a couple of years of investing.
So, as part of a promotion at the job, I am doing a correspondence course that will lead to a certification. The additional work, along with ongoing unpacking, home improvements and prep work for operation baby drop, has forced me to set my worldbuilding aside...for now. I will sneak in an hour or two of writing when I can. Creativity is not a thing I do. It is part of who I am, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling my calling.
In other news, the world around our story is starting to come alive in new ways, despite my life loading. Those of you following my Twitter feed may have seen a blurb about Hamentep. I had written into my ms that this Hibairu explorer had discovered the continent where Surviving Dreamseeds takes place. I began imagining what kind of person it is that sets out on expeditions to make discoveries of that magnitude. I thought about what conditions in early life create an individual with that kind of drive, and how that would relate to the culture from which he emerged. I’m starting to see a lot of story potential in this guy. (Yeah, another project is just what I need, right?)
I’m having dreams about being a father, now. Last night I dreamed about helping Naka feed the baby. The drop could come any minute now. We’re very ready to meet this person who has been coming into being for the last nine months. It’s a lot to process. I have to say, we have a lot of amazing friends who have come together to offer us a basinet, a changing table, a crib, diapers, wipes, countless clothes, etc. You know who you are. You’ve helped us out a LOT.
Now back to studying equations for this test. (Feels so much like I’m back in college again).